A viral post by a Peru-based tech professional has reignited debate around airline pricing transparency, suggesting that artificial intelligence tools can help travellers uncover heavily discounted airfares that remain invisible in standard searches.
In a post on X, Peru-based AI expert Gina Acosta claimed she reduced the cost of a flight from $1,200 to $340 by using targeted prompts on Grok to analyse airline pricing behaviour. According to Acosta, the savings came from understanding how airlines deploy dynamic pricing models rather than relying on conventional fare-comparison platforms.
“AIRLINES DON’T WANT YOU TO KNOW THIS. Grok found me a $1,200 flight for $340,” she wrote, adding that AI-assisted analysis can reveal pricing loopholes embedded within airline systems.
Acosta outlined six specific prompts designed to expose how fares are structured and how travellers can optimise booking strategies. The first focuses on route-level pricing intelligence, asking AI tools to analyse historical fare patterns, identify the cheapest days to fly, ideal booking windows, and seasonal trends for a specific route.
Another tactic involves expanding searches beyond major airports. By prompting AI to identify all alternative airports within a 100-mile radius and factoring in ground transportation costs, travellers can calculate true savings often missed in conventional searches.
She also highlighted hidden city ticketing, a controversial practice where passengers book longer routes with layovers at their intended destination because they are cheaper than direct flights. Acosta’s prompt asks AI tools to identify such options while clearly outlining associated risks, airline rules, and potential savings.
Tracking mistake fares and pricing errors formed another key pillar of her approach. One prompt requests a structured system to monitor fare anomalies, recommending alert tools, websites, and methods to distinguish genuine errors from limited-time promotions.
Airline points arbitrage was also addressed, encouraging travellers to compare the cost-effectiveness of buying miles, using credit card bonuses, transferring loyalty points, or booking positioning flights to cheaper hubs. “Show me the math for each option,” the prompt specifies.
Her sixth prompt directly interrogates airline dynamic pricing, asking how fares fluctuate based on user behaviour and whether strategies such as clearing cookies, using VPNs, switching devices, or booking at specific times can help avoid price inflation.
Acosta added a seventh “bonus” prompt that consolidates all strategies into a single AI-generated booking plan, asking for a step-by-step approach within a fixed budget.
“These prompts help you uncover pricing strategies, loopholes, and insider knowledge that can save hundreds on flights,” she said.
The post has gained significant traction among frequent travellers and tech enthusiasts, reflecting a growing trend of using generative AI not just for travel planning, but for actively analysing and challenging pricing mechanisms in the global aviation industry.
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